"Departure II"

ACT ONE

 

 

TITLE: THE LONG NIGHT

 

BLACK

 

CAPTION

 

Departure Part II

 

 

 

FADE IN FERON PRIME SOUTHERN SUBURBS-NIGHT

 

Footsteps in snow, heavy boots landing on concrete streets as Marines and Starfleet Personnel have secured the area where the Marines and the pirates were shooting each other.

 

MAJOR TIMOTHY WOLFE and ENSIGN DECKER emerge from GROX’S living complex; DECKER’S flexing his arm, shaking it like it feels funny. Both men are in motion, walking towards a small gathering of Marines and Starfleet personnel.

 

 

WOLFE

You okay?

 

DECKER

Yeah I’m fine; Doc gave me a calcium bath and a shot of something. It’ll be all better in another hour.

 

WOLFE

Well quit shaking it like that, you’re giving me the willies.

 

DECKER

It tingles! (a beat) Why am I even here, sir?

 

WOLFE

Because you know what I’m supposed to do. I’ve never been on one of these…away things.

 

DECKER

Away missions. We call them away missions. Don’t tell me you guys don’t have away missions.

 

WOLFE

Actually we don’t. We have Hot Drops and Cold Drops.

 

DECKER

Which is the kind where you’re shooting people?

 

WOLFE

The hot ones.

 

 

They arrive at the circle at the far end of the street, its NERI, a couple of nurses and another doctor. They’re going over CALLAHAN’S injury with a tricorder, administering sedatives.

 

 

WOLFE

Alright, Doctor what have you got for me?

 

 

DECKER and NERI both roll their eyes, WOLFE sounds like something out of a bad cop movie.

 

 

WOLFE (less confident)

Uh, what I mean is…

 

NERI

“What I’ve got” is a twenty eight year old woman who just had a six inch knife in her shoulder. I gave her a local but I want to run some tests to make sure there isn’t any nerve damage.

 

WOLFE

Did she say anything about the Commander?

 

NERI

All she’d say is that she saw Commander Lyons going after Koloth.

 

JIMENEZ (over comm.)

Delta, Delta, this is Charlie-Bravo.

 

CU on WOLFE tapping his comm..

 

 

WOLFE

Go for Delta, what the problem Sergeant?

 

 

 

CUT TO EXT. DARK ALLEY-NIGHT

 

JIMENEZ and his fire team are crouching behind some sort of futuristic dumpster as KOLOTH blasts away at them from across the alley.

 

Tight on JIMENEZ dodging a disruptor bolt.

 

 

JIMENEZ

I’m 100 meters west of your position. (dodges another disruptor bolt) We’ve located the suspect; I repeat suspect has been located.

 

 

 

CUT TO EXT. FERON PRIME SOUTHERN SUBURBS-NIGHT

 

CU on WOLFE.

 

 

WOLFE

Jimenez, do you need assistance?

 

 

 

CUT TO EXT. DARK ALLEY-NIGHT

 

JIMENEZ turns to a nearby MARINE.

 

 

JIMENEZ

Negative, I got him. (To fire team) Cover me.

 

 

Between shots, JIMENEZ rolls out from behind the dumpster and starts blasting in KOLOTH’S direction.  Two shots go wide but one of them wings KOLOTH in the upper chest. He releases a cry of pain, and then hits the ground in heap.  The team rushes up and keeps KOLOTH covered while JIMENEZ kicks the disruptor out of KOLOTH’S limp hand.

 

 

WOLFE (comm.)

What’s going on over there?

 

JIMENEZ

Suspect is down, sir. Requesting pick up.

 

WOLFE (comm.)

Any sign of the Commander?

 

JIMENEZ

Negative, sir.

 

 

Pan down to silver skull ring on KOLOTH’S finger.

 

 

 

CROSSFADE TO KOVIR’S TAILOR SHOP-DAWN

 

The first rays of an orange sun peek through the curtains on a small window.

 

Pan across the room to reveal a Spartan living area with Romulan/Vulcan décor on the walls. The most interesting is a triangular set of wind chimes made out of small rodent bones. Rings of clean white bones tied with beads and string.

 

On the bed, with a strip of cloth tied around her forehead, is SARA. She’s coming too slowly. Her uniform is gone; instead she’s wearing some sort of loose Vulcan robe.

 

CU SARA looks around; she doesn’t know where she is.  She tries to get up.

 

 

KOVIR (off screen)

Do not move.

 

 

Medium shot of a tall old Vulcan named KOVIR sitting “Indian-style” on a meditation mat on the floor across the room. His eyes are closed and he’s dressed in a Vulcan prayer robe. His hair is gray and there are lines on his face denoting his advanced age.

 

 

KOVIR

You have sustained a significant head trauma. I have attempted to heal you but my knowledge of human physiology is quite limited. I recommend you remain in bed.

 

SARA (surprised)

You’re Vulcan.

 

 

He raises an eyebrow.

 

 

KOVIR

Indeed. My name is Kovir.

 

 

SARA tries to get up again but her head swims and she lays back down again.

 

 

SARA (grabs her head)

Oh good god.

 

KOVIR

I attempted to warn you.

 

SARA

And I should have listened.

 

 

KOVIR walks over to the bed as SARA doubles over in pain.

 

 

SARA

My ship…you have to contact…

 

KOVIR

Your ship can wait, your recovery will not. I request that you remain in bed for several more hours.

 

SARA (weak)

I’ve got to talk to my ship.

 

KOVIR

I will attempt to do so but for now you must remain here. My daughter and I will do our best to care for your wounds in the mean time.

 

SARA

Who are you?

 

 

Tight on KOVIR.

 

 

KOVIR

I have told you. I am Kovir.

 

 

KOVIR starts walking away, SARA watches him walk away, the whole exchange has weirded her out.

 

 

 

CUT TO INT. FROST’S QUARTERS-SPACE

 

CU on a data padd with architectural designs on it, exteriors for a house.

 

Widen out, FROST is sitting on his couch with his feet up.  There’s a beep at the door, but he doesn’t looking up.

 

 

FROST

Enter.

 

 

The door opens to reveal RAND, holding a bottle of whiskey.

 

 

RAND

Penny for your thoughts?

 

FROST

Is that Bushmills?

 

RAND

Black label.

 

FROST

Then you can have my thoughts for free.

 

 

RAND smiles and settles down next to him on the couch. He sets a glass in front of FROST and pours him a healthy portion.

 

CU on FROST taking his glass.

 

 

FROST

So I take it, you heard what happened.

 

RAND

Confined to quarters. Should’ve behaved yourself.

 

FROST

I’m too old to behave myself, Danny. Besides I didn’t say anything that everybody wasn’t thinking already.

 

RAND (laughing)

Shut up and drink.

 

 

 

CUT TO INT. NELSON BRIDGE-SPACE

 

WOLFE looks around the Bridge. The crew seem annoyed that he’s there but less hostile then before.

 

DECKER’S at the helm and spins around to shoot him a snarky grin.

 

 

DECKER

Your orders, sir?

 

 

WOLFE blinks.

 

 

WOLFE

Are you sure Doctor Neri isn’t-

 

DECKER

The Commander’s missing, Lieutenant Frost is suspended from duty, and you’re the next highest ranking Bridge officer.

 

 

WOLFE uneasily settles into the Command Chair.  He stares at the long row of buttons and readouts in the armrest.

 

 

WOLFE

This is ridiculous.

 

 

He gets up and heads to the turbolift but DECKER clears his throat and he stops.

 

 

WOLFE (annoyed)

Yes?

 

DECKER

The bridge.

 

WOLFE

What about it?

 

DECKER

You have to pick one of us to take the bridge.

 

WOLFE (confused)

Take it where?

 

 

 

CUT TO INT. FROST’S QUARTERS-SPACE

 

FROST’S glass is now half empty and the bottle in RAND’S hand isn’t as full as it was before. Both men look a little buzzed.

 

Tight on FROST gesturing wildly while RAND looks over the architectural drawings he was studying earlier.

 

 

RAND

Oak?

 

FROST

Yeah, hand carved oak. That’s the whole theme; this house is gonna be hand made. No machines, no plasti-steel. Wood, wood and sweat, mate.

 

RAND

Sounds like a dump.

 

FROST

Hey! That’s my dream house you’re talking about!

 

 

RAND pours his old friend another shot.

 

 

RAND

Remember your last dream? Back when we were on DS-4?

 

FROST (wistful)

Zerrah Tuzan, prettiest Andorian I’ve ever seen.

 

RAND

And to get a date with her you started the ugliest bar fight I’ve ever seen.

 

FROST

That wasn’t my fault; I didn’t know she had a boyfriend.

 

RAND

Andorian girls always have a boyfriend, twenty years in Starfleet and you still don’t know that?

 

FROST (bitter)

Twenty years in Starfleet and I still don’t know a lot of things.

 

 

Tight two shot. Nobody says anything for a few moments.

 

 

RAND

You’re really getting out?

 

FROST

Why is that so hard to believe?

 

RAND

Because I know you.

 

FROST

Maggie knows me, she believes me.

 

RAND

Maggie’s your wife; she hasn’t seen you on that bridge in the thick of it. She’s never seen that fire in your eyes when you were getting the job done.

 

 

FROST takes his shot, RAND offers him another one.

 

 

RAND

What happened to your fire, Paul?

 

 

CU on FROST

 

 

FROST

It burned out.

 

 

The door to the quarters opens and WOLFE steps inside.  Both men give WOLFE a perplexed stare as the Marine stands at attention.

 

 

WOLFE

Commander Lyons is missing, as the acting Captain of this vessel I’m ordering you to return to duty.

 

FROST

What the hell for?

 

 

CU on WOLFE

 

 

WOLFE

I need you to tell me what those buttons on the chair do.

 

 

 

 

Continue on to ACT TWO...